GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Festuca pilosella

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms 45–60 cm long; 1–1.5 mm diam.; 2 -noded; with 0.2–0.33 of their length below uppermost node. Culm-internodes distally pubescent. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 0.66–0.75 of their length closed; ribbed; antrorsely scabrous; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.3–0.5 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 20–30 cm long; 0.5–0.75 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade venation with 5 secondary veins; 3 inner ridges; 5 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands; subepidermal sclerenchyma free from veins. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough abaxially; pubescent; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex obtuse.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; interrupted; 7–13 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 1–3 cm long. Panicle branches puberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 7–8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2–3 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface scabrous; rough below. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 3–4 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface asperulous; rough below. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 4–5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; rough above. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.8–1.5 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous; adorned above; with 0.33 of their length adorned. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 2–2.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Arabia.

NOTES Poeae. Alexeev 1995.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.